Poverty rate by state (2024)

Poverty rate by state

Louisiana has the highest estimate (18.7%); New Hampshire has the lowest (7.2%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT1701

50 ranked states; DC and Puerto Rico appear as reference rows where the source supplies them. Highest does not mean best. Ranks reflect point estimates; close values may not differ statistically.

State distribution and comparisons

The middle of the 50-state distribution is 11.6%: the average of the 25th and 26th ordered state estimates. This treats each state equally, so it answers a different question from a population-weighted national estimate.

One other state is statistically tied with Louisiana at 90% confidence: Mississippi. This is not a confidence interval for rank, and testing multiple pairs increases false-positive risk.

See the top ten estimates with their 90% margins of error

Shared axis spans the complete 50-state estimate ± MOE range. Intervals describe individual estimates; overlapping intervals alone are not our significance test.

How does this compare with child poverty rate?

These states’ ranks change the most between poverty rate and child poverty rate. These comparisons identify different questions worth investigating; a rank gap does not measure a causal effect or a statistical difference between unlike units.

State	Poverty rate	Child poverty rate
Idaho	10.5% · #32	11.1% · #42
Delaware	9.6% · #43	12.6% · #33
New Jersey	9.2% · #46	11.7% · #36

Values over time

Annual ACS 1-year estimates, 2021–2024. Each year is a separate published survey release; 2020 is excluded because the Census Bureau did not release standard 1-year estimates for that year. Ranks are recalculated among the same 50 states for each year.

Choose a state

Poverty rate · 2024 · Percent
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	Louisiana	18.7%	± 0.6%	Highest estimate
2	Mississippi	17.8%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
3	West Virginia	16.7%	± 0.7%	Different at 90%
4	New Mexico	16.4%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
5	Kentucky	15.6%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
6	Arkansas	15.5%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
7	Alabama	15.2%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
8	Oklahoma	14.9%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
9	New York	14.0%	± 0.3%	Different at 90%
10	Tennessee	13.5%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	Michigan	13.4%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
11	Texas	13.4%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
13	South Carolina	13.3%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Ohio	12.7%	± 0.3%	Different at 90%
15	Georgia	12.6%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
16	North Carolina	12.5%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
17	Missouri	12.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
18	Indiana	12.2%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
18	Rhode Island	12.2%	± 1.0%	Not distinguishable at 90%
20	Florida	12.0%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	California	11.8%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	Oregon	11.8%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Arizona	11.7%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Illinois	11.6%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Nevada	11.6%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
24	Pennsylvania	11.6%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
27	Iowa	11.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
28	North Dakota	11.1%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	Kansas	10.9%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	Nebraska	10.9%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
31	Maine	10.6%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
32	Idaho	10.5%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
33	South Dakota	10.4%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Wisconsin	10.3%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
35	Alaska	10.2%	± 0.9%	Not distinguishable at 90%
35	Connecticut	10.2%	± 0.6%	Not distinguishable at 90%
35	Montana	10.2%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
38	Wyoming	10.1%	± 1.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	Hawaii	10.0%	± 0.7%	Not distinguishable at 90%
40	Washington	9.9%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Massachusetts	9.7%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
41	Virginia	9.7%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
43	Colorado	9.6%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
43	Delaware	9.6%	± 1.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Minnesota	9.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
46	New Jersey	9.2%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
47	Maryland	9.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
48	Vermont	9.0%	± 0.8%	Not distinguishable at 90%
49	Utah	8.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
50	New Hampshire	7.2%	± 0.6%	Different at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	17.3%	± 1.7%	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	37.3%	± 1.0%	Reference jurisdiction

Poverty rate · 2024 · Percent

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

Louisiana

18.7%

± 0.6%

Highest estimate

Mississippi

17.8%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

West Virginia

16.7%

± 0.7%

Different at 90%

New Mexico

16.4%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kentucky

15.6%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arkansas

15.5%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

15.2%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oklahoma

14.9%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New York

14.0%

± 0.3%

Different at 90%

Tennessee

13.5%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

13.4%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Texas

13.4%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

13.3%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ohio

12.7%

± 0.3%

Different at 90%

Georgia

12.6%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

12.5%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Missouri

12.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Indiana

12.2%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

12.2%

± 1.0%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Florida

12.0%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

California

11.8%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oregon

11.8%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

11.7%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Illinois

11.6%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nevada

11.6%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Pennsylvania

11.6%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

11.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

11.1%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

10.9%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

10.9%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maine

10.6%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

10.5%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Dakota

10.4%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

10.3%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alaska

10.2%

± 0.9%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Connecticut

10.2%

± 0.6%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Montana

10.2%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wyoming

10.1%

± 1.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Hawaii

10.0%

± 0.7%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Washington

9.9%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Massachusetts

9.7%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Virginia

9.7%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Colorado

9.6%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

9.6%

± 1.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Minnesota

9.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Jersey

9.2%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maryland

9.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Vermont

9.0%

± 0.8%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Utah

8.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Hampshire

7.2%

± 0.6%

Different at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

17.3%

± 1.7%

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

37.3%

± 1.0%

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

People below the official poverty threshold as a share of the population for whom poverty status is determined.

Official thresholds vary by family size and composition, but not by local housing costs. This is not the Supplemental Poverty Measure.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 11.5 percentage points. The U.S. benchmark is 12.1%. It is not a simple average of the states.

19 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 31 below it. These counts do not establish statistical significance.

How much should you read into a rank?

Each estimate has a 90% margin of error published by the Census Bureau. For two different states, we flag a difference only when its absolute size exceeds the square root of the sum of their squared margins of error. The comparison tool applies this check to every selected pair.

Non-significance is not proof of equality. These pairwise tests are not adjusted for multiple comparisons and do not form ranking confidence intervals. Statistical method and limitations.

Ranks use the full precision of the source file, so only truly equal values share a rank (1, 2, 2, 4).

Keep exploring

How income definitions change a ranking.

Explore the same states in a side-by-side comparison, or combine this measure with others in the custom ranking tool.

Source and method

Producer: U.S. Census Bureau
Product / file: ACS 1-year · GCT1701
Period: 2024
Unit: Percent
Calculation: Published estimate; no transformation of the value. Rank = 1 + number of eligible jurisdictions with a higher value.
Coverage: The 50 states are ranked. Washington, D.C., can be added with the toggle above the table; Puerto Rico is shown for reference only, where the source covers it.
Cadence: Annual. 2025 ACS 1-year estimates scheduled for October 29, 2026 (Census ACS updates page); adoption follows editorial review.
Independence: Rank the States is independent. The agencies that produce the source data do not endorse these rankings.

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Rank the States. Poverty rate, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT1701; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/poverty-rate.csv

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Updates and corrections

Last updated Oct. 23, 2026. Earlier editions stay available on the data page, and every change is listed in the update log. If a number or definition looks wrong, report an error with the state, value, and source you checked.

Poverty rate by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with child poverty rate?

Values over time

The state-by-state view

What this ranking measures

The size of the gap

How much should you read into a rank?

Keep exploring

Source and method

Download, cite, or embed

Updates and corrections

Related rankings

Child poverty rate

Poverty among adults 65 and older

Richest and poorest states (household income)

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